Backpacker
CDT Day 2: Riding the Wave
The strong breezes and clouds made most of the second day surprisingly tolerable. Though I had a lazy morning pulling my heat-affected self off of the tarp I'd thrown down...
CDT Day 1: Neopolitan Dreams
The Adventure Begins! It didn’t take long to be thrust right into the trials of the trail. The very last trail shuttle of the NOBO season didn’t drop us off...
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One Cold [High] Desert | Arizona Trail
One Cold (High) Desert Arizona Trail | Week 1 Days 1-2 Prologue | Welcome Back Thanks for tuning in here & reading my blogs. It means a substantial amount that...
Easing into Silence
Taking the Amtrak sleeper car from LA Union to Lordsburg felt like traveling back in time, into a silent movie. The hum of the tracks and the white noise of...
Gear Lists are for Changing
On all of my thruhikes so far, my gear has fluctuated based on things like terrain, hiker box finds, and material failures. Still, I was chuckling at myself this week...
Ponies, Electrolyte Scaries, Damascus – Week 6 AT
My goals for the trail this week have continued to shift from “slowing down” to simply being present. It’s easy to get obsessed with where camp is and just wait...
The Storm Before the Sunshine
In the final weeks leading up to a major trip or change, time seems to fly by faster than a hurricane. It tends to feel just as chaotic too. Though...
Thruhiker Imposter Syndrome
I've successfully thruhiked over 4,000 miles, yet as I sit here a couple of weeks before the trail the doubts still roll in. How will my body handle the elevation...
Reflections on the Eve of a Thru hike
Well folks, it won't be long now and I'll be stepping off at Amicalola Falls. It finally started to feel real just this past week. I've been planning and taking...
PCT Day 1: Rising to the Challenge
The first day of a long trail seems like it will never come, and then when it finally hits it seems like it will never end.